FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly known as FERPA, is a federal law governing the privacy of educational records. It grants specific rights to students and sets restrictions on how schools may handle educational records. FERPA requires that schools obtain written permission from students before releasing educational records. In certain well-defined circumstances, some information may be released without written permission from the student. Staff members who have access to student records must complete the FERPA Tutorial.